In the news: Do fitness trackers actually make you healthier?

The rise of the fitness tracker has been undeniable in recent years, with the devices becoming as normal as wristwatches to many. Indeed, a YouGov study released in 2014 estimated that over 6 million Brits would be donning wearable tech by 2015 – a number that has only increased in 2016, with an estimated 10 million expected to be in use by the end of the year.

Yet – despite fitness trackers being more popular than ever – a new study shows that they do not necessarily improve an individual's chances of losing weight. Indeed, research carried out over the course of two years by the University of Pittsburgh has concluded that wearing an activity device that counts how many steps you take each day could result in less weight being lost than if you exercised tech-free.

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Scientists asked 500 overweight volunteers, 250 of whom were given a commercially available fitness tracker, to diet and take exercise. At the end of the trial, it was found that the group who had lost the most weight (an average of 5.9kg) was the one in which participants were not provided with wearable tech. While there was some evidence of weightless in the wristband group, it averaged at just 3.5kg.

Theories behind the results include that those wearing fitness trackers relied too much on the devices. It was also suggested that, after counting their steps, participants would reward themselves with treats or feel too demoralised to keep exercising. It seems that the results were as surprising to the researchers as they were to participants. Lead researcher John Jakicic, from the University of Pittsburgh, said:

"When we started this we hypothesised that we were going to see the opposite of what we found. One reason might be that the individuals started focusing solely on the activity information and paid less attention to other things that are really important, such as diet. They might have even felt 'Oh, I'm really active today – I can reward myself by eating more'."

Another possibility is that the software is to blame, as the apps attached to the device are not trained to be supportive in the same way as dietary counselors or personal trainers are. Speaking on this point, Dr Jakicic added:

"There's a computer and an app giving feedback. The tracker says 'Here's your activity, here's the activity you need to do, so get up and do more'. It never says 'Why did you not do that? What's going on in your life? How can we improve?'"

Ultimately, the researchers were clear to point out that this was one study on a specific group and that such trackers may work better for those who are less overweight. They said that these results do not mean that people should be ditching technology altogether, but neither should we be putting too much faith in them.

Despite the popularity of fitness trackers, there have been very few studies carried out to determine the impact they have on weight and exercise levels. This research is one of the first randomised trials to gather such evidence, and has monitored users for the longest period of time to date. Manufacturers say that the technology has moved on since the study, and that their own research suggests that activity trackers can help with weight loss alongside diet and exercise regimes.

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